Newcastle United asked about Sporting Club de Portugal defender Goncalo Inacio in January and insisted they could pay the fees required for him but were asked by Sporting Club de Portugal to delay any efforts until the summer.
That’s according to Record, who say Newcastle ‘hung around until the bell sounded’ looking for a deal for the highly rated defender.
The Magpies have long had the Portuguese international in their sights and approached those in charge of the Lions about a deal, guaranteeing they had the capacity to meet the €60m clause in his contract.
However, Sporting’s administration did not respond favourably and instead asked for a ‘postponement’ of any efforts until the summer.
They’ve promised manager Ruben Amorim that no players would leave until the end of the season and so promised Newcastle they would sit at the table and negotiate a deal in the summer.
The belief is that the Magpies will return and look for a deal at that point and so Sporting will happily sit down with them and discuss a transfer, having managed to deter them in January.
